Conference Director

The Rev’d Colin Nicolle has served as Rector in the Parish of St. Mary and St. John (PEI) since September 2016. He holds degrees in Classics, Journalism and Theology from King’s College, Dalhousie University and the Atlantic School of Theology (all in Halifax).

He’s an avid photographer and fly-fisherman and lives in Summerside, PEI with his wife, Shannon, and their dog, Bramble. Fr. Nicolle, originally from Nova Scotia, likes tea, dogs and hunting.

He is the Rector of the Parish of Summerside & St Eleanors’, and Priest-in-Charge of the Parish of Alberton & O’Leary, PEI.

He made his summer camp and Conference Director debuts simultaneously at the 2024 St Michael’s Conference. With that experience, he is very much looking forward to returning for his second year in 2025.

Activities Director

Archdeacon Perry Cooper was raised in the small fishing village of Trinity East, Newfoundland. One of four boys, he along with his other siblings grew up in a home where family life and church life were intertwined. In 1987, as young adult, he entered the Church Army College of Evangelism and in 1989 was commissioned an Evangelist in the Anglican Church of Canada.

Ordained a Deacon in 1997 and a Priest in 1998, he currently serves as Rector of the Parish of Chatham in the Diocese of Fredericton and as the territorial Archdeacon for the Archdeaconry of Chaleur-Miramichi. For the past few years he has also served as vice chair of Anglican Renewal Ministries of Canada.

Over the years he served the Church in Manitoba, Newfoundland, Ontario, Northwest Territories and Yukon. His theological training from Church Army College of Evangelism, Thorneloe University and Education for Ministry - University of the South.

Perry’s favourite book of the Bible is John's Gospel with his favourite verse being John 1:12 " But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God."

Perry is married to Kallie, his wife of over 30 years, and they have two adult children living in Newfoundland.

Perry is an avid outdoorsman and conservationist. His hobbies include hunting, fishing, canoeing, hiking, camping, and mentoring youth through organizations such as the Baden Powell Service Association and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Instructor Year 1 Bible
Seeing through the Scriptures: An Introduction to the Bible

Archbishop Edwards was born and educated in Shropshire, England. He studied at Loughborough University and Homerton College Cambridge and worked as a high school history teacher prior to completing diplomas in Religious and Evangelism Studies followed by a Master of Arts in Applied Theology at the University of Kent at Canterbury.

Both prior to and following his ordination in 1995, Bishop Edwards served in ministry in the Chelmsford Diocese in England, including as Bishop's Advisor in Evangelism and in the Parish of High Ongar. He moved to New Brunswick in 1998 to be Principal of Taylor College of Evangelism. He has since served in parishes in Saint John, as Parish Development Officer for the Diocese of Fredericton and as Vice-Chair of Safe Harbour Transitional Youth Services in Saint John.

Edwards was elected coadjutor bishop May 10, 2014 and, subsequently, installed as the tenth Bishop of Fredericton September 20. He became the 25th Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Canada (Dioceses of Montreal and Quebec and those in the Atlantic Provinces), and, as a result, an Archbishop, on August 1, 2020.

He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Divinity from Wycliffe College (University of Toronto) in May 2015 and now serves on the College's Board of Trustees. On behalf of the Anglican Church of Canada, he also serves as Liaison Bishop to Mission to Seafarers Canada.

Bishop David enjoys reading, walking and has been a lifetime supporter of the Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (the Wolves).

Instructor: Year 1 Theology (with Fr Lee)
God: Who is He? What has He told us about Himself? How do we respond by faith?

Dr. Hebb has, over the years, been a very popular instructor at SMYC. He not only brings a lot of knowledge to his classes, but also a great enthusiasm to help Michaelites explore the subject with him. His teaching style encourages Michaelites to ask questions, dig deeper and create connections to their own lives.

Dr. Hebb is a native of Nova Scotia’s South Shore who has served in a number of parishes in the Diocese of Fredericton. A graduate of King’s College and Dalhousie University (both in Halifax), he received his PhD from the University of Wales, Lampeter in 2002.

Along with books on Maritime Church history, he has also written about the golden age of shipbuilding at St. Martins on the Bay of Fundy, and has written a few books on WW I and the Maritime provinces, including, "Letters Home: Maritimers and the Great War 1914-1918", "In Their Own Words: Three Maritimers Experience the Great War" and "A Canadian Nurse in the Great War The Diaries of Ruth Loggie, 1915-1916".

Don't let this "serious" face fool you - Dr. Hebb has a great since of humour and is well regarded by our Michaelites for his great advice, listening and conversations shared with them.

Instructor Year 1: Theology (with Fr Hebb)
God: Who is He? What has he told us about Himself? How do we respond by faith?

A native of Burnaby, British Columbia, he holds an Honours B.A. in Biblical Studies and Theology from Providence University College, and a B.A. and M.A. in Classics from Dalhousie University. His areas of graduate study focused on St Augustine and the nineth-century Irish theologian, John Scottus Eriugena. As a pastor, teacher, and preacher he continues to draw his studies ever more deeply into God's Word, especially as received by the early Church Fathers, classical Anglicanism, and the whole catholic tradition of cosmology, anthropology, theology, and prayer.

A newcomer to the St Michael’s Conference in 2025, he brings years of experience ministering in rural, suburban, inner-city, and academic contexts, through which--much to his surprise--he discerned the priestly vocation of representing the sacrifice of Christ that mediates what is divine and human, heavenly and earthly, theoretical and practical.

Father Benjamin can readily be recognized as “The Man in Black,” because of the cassock that is his daily habit: a visible reminder of the priest's rootedness in centuries of the Church's tradition, and identification with the poverty of Christ.

He finds refreshment in manual labour, is passionate about cooking and sharing food, enjoys the outdoors, music making and wondering at the ordinary and everyday with his family. He lives in Dartmouth NS with his wife, Andrea and their three children.

Instructor: Year 1 Spirituality
Introduction to Prayer: how do we worship, know, and serve the God of heaven and earth?

Sue Careless is a Toronto-based journalist who is also the author of the three-volume series Discovering the Book of Common Prayer: A Hands-On Approach. She is Senior Editor at The Anglican Planet and a foreign correspondent for the American publication The Living Church Magazine.

Before pursuing journalism, Sue taught high school English and Theatre Arts and still enjoys teaching teens and adults. Every summer for the past eight years she has led a play reading group and this winter the group is exploring Dante’s Divine Comedy. Currently they are still in Purgatory.

Besides journalism and drama, she enjoys photography, travel, gardening, birding and chocolate. She is also learning breadmaking and Spanish.

Sue and her husband Tone love hanging out with their four children and six grandchildren.

Instructor: Tears & Laughter: The Book of Psalms

Elizabeth King is well-experienced with St. Michael's. She has attended as a Michaelite and a counsellor. 2025 is her third year as an instructor.

A scholar, she studied the Liberal Arts at St John’s College, Annapolis, Maryland, and Classics at Cambridge University. She also has an MA in Classics from Dalhousie University where she wrote on Plotinus’s fourfold gradation of virtue and its relation to the soul of the world.

During Lent 2025, she led Quiet Days on the Psalms at St George’s Anglican Church and the University of King’s College Chapel, both in Halifax. This class is an outgrowth of those events.

She brings joy and enthusiasm to everything she does. A mother of three, she and her husband currently make their home in Nova Scotia.

Instructor: Looking at Trees - a New Testament Journey.

Fr. Chris loves Jesus and his Church and has spent most of this adult life sharing the love and gospel of Jesus Christ, serving first in youth ministry, but also in community outreach and parish evangelism. He was ordained to the diaconate in June 2014 and appointed deacon-in-charge of the Parish of Kent. On June 28, 2015 he was ordained a priest and has remained in the Parish of Kent since that time.

Fr. Chris and Laura (his wife and a high school teacher) will continue on with the joys and challenges of rural parish ministry in Kent for the foreseeable future. Chris is also a volunteer firefighter and substitute teacher.

Fr. Chris has many professional interests. He is interested in how a new monasticism might form the heart of a parish; how priests might transition into bi-vocational ministry as a way to secure and perpetuate this essential ministry within the life of the Church gathered; the role that missionary clergy and lay leaders might play in the future of the diocese; and how the Church might get involved with community development and renewal as a fresh expression of Church.

Fr. Chris and Laura are foster parents and they remain passionate about youth ministry in general, and camp ministry in particular.

Fr. Chris enjoys reading and writing and playing video-games. He collects vinyl records and DVDs.

Fr. Chris is very comfortable with silence.
SMYC is thrilled to have Fr. Chris back on staff this year. Not only is his course always a favourite, he brings joy and fun to camp activities. He is also well respected for the example he brings to staff and Michaelite alike of a Christian who is always seeking to follow our Lord in all he does and says.

Instructor: What is Truth? Christian apologetics without apologies!?

The Rev'd Gerry Laskey was born and raised in Fredericton, New Brunswick. He studied history at the University of New Brunswick before going on to earn a Masters of Divinity at Trinity College, Toronto.

Ordained Deacon 1983 and Priested in 1984, Gerry currently serves in the Parish of Derby and Blackville on the Miramichi River in New Brunswick. Previously he has worked in the Parishes of Ludlow and Blissfield, Gagetown, St. Martins and Black River; served as a hospital chaplain and worked with Corrections Canada in Community Chaplaincy.

His first connection with St. Michael’s Youth Conference (SMYC) was as the parent of Michaelites when his three daughters attended some the early conferences. In 1998 he first became part of the teaching staff and has continued that involvement through to this year’s conference. In the past his courses have included, “The Temptations of Christ”, “John’s Gospel”, “The Psalms”, “Martyrs Ancient and Modern”, “Christ and Quarks: Science and Religion”, “A Short Course in Spiritual Combat (based on CS Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters and other works)”, “The Hard Sayings of Jesus”, “Pluralism, Tolerance and Revealed Truth” and others.

In SMYC he finds the coming together in community to celebrate and develop enduring faith and life-long friendships that encourage, challenge and educate us to be more of who Christ calls us to be – each and every day. He also finds it to be a whole lot of fun!

Fr. Gerry and his wife, Siobhan, are the parents of four children and have also enjoyed many years at SMYC with their two granddaughters.

Instructor: Lord, I Believe: Turning the Creed into Prayer

Gary Thorne graduated from Saint John High School along with Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, Victor Frankel, and Carlos Castaneda. They introduced him to the vast expanse of the inner life from which he has never escaped. Nonetheless, along the way there have been accidental appearances in the real world, beginning with a gap year in Mexico and followed by study of philosophy at Acadia and metaphysics in Aberdeen Scotland. Next he was awarded graduate degrees in both Philosophy and Classics at Dalhousie University.

The Anglican Church then was kind enough to fund the next forty years of his exploration of the inner life, to be journeyed with countless others. Twenty of those years were as a university chaplain (in Halifax and London, Ontario). In 1994 he was pastor of an historic church in Halifax that was set afire by three children. He oversaw the 6-million dollar restoration, and along the way established a community youth mentoring organization and a barrier-free university programme for the poor and marginalized. Both programs are going strong decades later. Oh yes, there is also that doctoral degree in Byzantine theology at the University of Durham, England.

He retired LCol after 23 years as chaplain in the CAF. Responsible for army chaplains throughout Atlantic Canada, he was involved in the burial of 23 Atlantic Canadian soldiers killed-in-action in Afghanistan. He has received three honorary degrees from universities in Canada, and both the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals. He is a member of the Military Order of Merit. He is married to an artist.

Gary and Sandra have a daughter who proudly serves as a military pharmacist and a son with trisomy- 13 who should not have survived his birth but has beat the odds for 35 beautiful years.

Fr Thorne was a member of the original St Michael’s Youth Conference (Maritimes) staff in 1987 . We are extremely fortunate he is making this very special return in 2025.

Instructor: Stories about Living and Dying

Lecturer in Great Books & the Aquinas Programme, St Thomas University, Fredericton NB.

Alan Hall was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. He moved east for the Foundation Year Programme at the University of King's College in 1993 and hasn't really left, although he did spend a few years in Ontario for graduate school and some time in the Rockies working at a hiking lodge.

He has a degree in Contemporary Studies and History from King's and a degree in the History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Toronto. He taught at King's for five years in the Foundation Year Programme, the Contemporary Studies Programme and the History of Science Programme. Since then he has been teaching in the Great Books and Philosophy Programmes at St. Thomas University in Fredericton where he lives with his wife and three children (and new dog). He is also a postulant for ordination in the Diocese of Fredericton. He loves many things but mostly he loves skiing.

Instructor: How shall we sing the Lord's Song? Music in worship.

Brenda O’Connor is delighted to be a part of SMYC this summer. A native of New Brunswick, she studied music and physics at Mount Allison, education at the University of Western Ontario, and theology at Wycliffe College at the University of Toronto. She has worked in music, math (and baking) education; choral conducting; liturgy planning; children’s (and family) ministry; and camp ministry.

Brenda’s musical formation began in the choir school at Christ Church Cathedral in Fredericton and the Diocese of Fredericton’s summer Choir School, and she has been captivated by Anglican church music ever since. She and her 3 children live in Halifax in a home where there is usually someone singing, or reading, or both.

Instructor: How shall we sing the Lord’s Song? Music in worship.

A cradle Anglican originally from New Brunswick, Sarah has spent most of her adult life in Nova Scotia by way of ten years on Prince Edward Island. An alumna of Camp Medley and the Diocesan School of Church Music (Choir School) in the Diocese of Fredericton, she was introduced to the St Michael’s Youth Conference 1994 by the late Fr Dale Petley. She immediately fell in love with the programme: the kind of experience she wished had been available to her when she was a teenager. Between 1994 and 2011 she served in several roles at SMYC including counsellor, Registrar and Treasurer. A former Associate Dean with Dalhousie University Libraries, she now uses all of those organizational and administrative skills as the SMYC Project Manager. This year she is excited to be teaching church music with her friend and musician, Brenda O’Connor. Between them, they have over 60 years of combined experience as church musicians in 4 provinces.

Sarah’s hobbies include photography, making handbound books, reading historical fiction and biographies, sewing quilt tops, and knitting. A former chemist, she also enjoys experimenting with dyeing yarn. During apple harvest season, you can find Sarah working for her long-time SMYC friends, Susan & John Hall, at their orchard in Fredericton Junction, NB.